Rotary cutter for sugar cane and the like



Nov. 4, 1930.

A. M. SIMPSON ROTARY CUTTER FOR SUGAR CANE AND THE LIKE I FiIed March- Q'Y, 1928 2 Sheets-Shea? 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY):

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A. M. SIMPSQN ROTARY CUTTER FOR SUGAR CANE AND THE LIKE Nov 4, 1930. v

Filed March 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYJ,

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 ALFRED M. SIMPSON, 0F MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ROTARY CUTTER FOR SUGAR CANE .AND THE LIKE Application filed March 27, 1928. Serial No. 265,027.

This invention relates to rotary cutters for cutting and shredding sugar cane and the like and has for its object to provide a relatively simple and cheaply manufactured cutting unit in which the blade elements may be readily applied or removed or reversed in their support, to which they will be rigidly secured against any independent movement relative to said support. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a shaft having a gang of the improved cutters applied thereto, the latter being shown in sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly broken away, of one of the cutters. v

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the disposition of the knives.

Fig. 4: is a plan view, partly in section, of one of the cutters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a rotary shaft upon which the gang of cutters is rigidly mounted, said shaft having a flange 2 which is engaged by a collar 3, which constitutes one abutment or clamping element for the gang of cutters, the opposite end of the shaft being provided with a washer 5 and lock nuts 6, 6 engaging threads 7 on the shaft, which constitute the other locking element for the gang of cutters. The shaft is provided with a longitudinal key-way 8, by means of which the individual cutters may be locked to the shaft so as to rotate with the shaft.

The cutter elements are identical in construction, each comprising a hub 10, provided with two key-ways 14, 14 spaced 90 degrees apart in the interior of the hub, so that either of said key-ways may be brought into registry with the key-ways in the shaft and locked to the shaft when the key is driven home. The hub is provided with a peripheral flange 11 containing two knife receiving grooves or recesses 12, which are substantially rectangular and are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the flange, but on the same face thereof. The intermediate portions of the same face of the flange are recessed, as at 13.

As indicated, the grooves or recesses 12 are adapted to receive and retain the knives, each of which comprises a blade portion 17, which is preferably flat on one face and oppositely beveled on the other, and a butt portion 18, which is substantially quadrilateral and rectangular to fit in the grooves or recesses, the length of the butt being somewhat greater than the depth of the corresponding groove or recess, so that the upper portion of each butt, when the latter is fitted in its groove or recess, extends a short distance beyond the adjacent face of the flange 11.

A collar or washer 20 surrounds the hub section and engages the faces of the butts of the knives, said collar being rigidly locked to the flange of the hub by bolts 22, preferably four in number, which engage registering openings in the flange 11 and the washer 20, the bolts, when set up, drawing the washer firmly into engagement with the butts of the knives. Preferably, each knife butt is provided with an opening 19 which registers with openings in the flange 10 and the collar 20 to receive a bolt 21, which insures the looking of the knife in its groove against any relative movement.

The cutters, as described, are assembled on the shaft 1 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, with the knives on successive cutters disposed at right angles to each other, which relation is readily effected by reason of the disposition of the key-ways 14, 14; in the hubs. As

explained, the blade of each knife is double edged, so that, when one edge becomes dull, the knife may be turned over to present the other edge to the material to be cut, and the cutting operation will be effective in re sharpening the dulled edge.

lVhat I claim is:

A rotary cutter comprising a hub having a peripheral flange provided with a plurality of rectangularly-formed knife-receiving grooves extending radially thereof, knives comprising blade sections, and rectangularly-shaned butt sections adapted to fit into said grooves, the butt sections being of greater length than the depth of said grooves and projecting above said flange, a collar fitting the hub and contacting the projecting faces of said knife butts, and individual bolts traversing the flange, knife butts and collar, for locking the butts in the grooves, and multiple bolts for locking the collar and hub to gether.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFRED M. SIMPSON. 

